Journal Name:
Br. J. Nutr.
Article Title:
Replacement of linoleic acid with alpha-linolenic acid does not alter blood lipids in normolipidaemic men.
Date Written:
1998
Volume:
80
Number:
2
Page:
163
Author(s):
Pang, D.; Allman-Farinelli, M.A.; Wong, T.; Barnes, R.; Kingham, K.M.
Article:
A relationship exists between plasma cholesterol and triacylglycerols and coronary heart disease (CHD). Saturated fatty acids, except stearic acid (C18:0), have a hypercholesterolaemic effect while linoleic acid (LA) and oleic acid (C18:1n-9) results in lowering of LDL-cholesterol. A number of studies have reported that alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) also reduces blood cholesterol however, interpretation has been difficult because oleic acid has been altered at the same time. In the present study the effects of replacement of LA with ALA on blood lipids were tested. Subjects were selected to be as homogenous as possible and only ALA and LA were changed by replacing safflower oil with flaxseed oil.
After a 2-week stabilization period, twenty-nine healthy young men were randomly assigned to either an ALA-rich diet group (n=15) receiving a mean of 10.1 g of ALA and 12.1 g of LA. Fourteen subjects received a mean of 1.0 g of ALA and 21.0 g of LA on the LA-rich diet, for a 6-week test period. No significant differences in the changes in plasma total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, the sub-fractions HDL2 and HDL3 or triacylglycerols were found. The present study showed no changes in plasma cholesterol when half the omega-6 PUFA, as LA were replaced by the omega-3 fatty acid, ALA. However, the present findings should not be extrapolated to hyperlipidaemic subjects.
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